Arkansas Out-of-Doors Sept/Oct 2013

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2013

T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E A R K A N S A S W I L D L I F E F E D E R AT I O N A F F I L I AT E D W I T H T H E N AT I O N A L W I L D L I F E F E D E R AT I O N

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit 128 Russellville, Ark. 72801

VOL 41

NO 5

History Made on Bearcat Hollow WMA

PHOTO BY WAYNE SHEWMAKE

2 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013

Arkansas Wildlife Federation Mission Statement

To advocate for the sustainable use of Arkansas’ wildlife habitats and natural resources for future generations.

As you will read in some of the other articles in this issue of AOOD, AWF has just finished its 4th year on volunteer work on the Bearcat Hollow Cooperative Habitat Project (BCH). I, for one, am very glad AWF chose to get involved with this very worthwhile project for wildlife. It has been a great benefit to

This goes to show that all of the hard work everyone is doing is benefiting the wildlife and habitat, and we can see it in the monitoring of the diverse species population in the area.

What impresses me the most is all the support AWF has gotten from the colleges, universities, the Little Rock Air

"I am so inspired by all the young people and students and impressed by their ability and responsibility for the work they have done in support for this project." wildlife and to the public. The wildlife has increased enough that the U S Forest Service and AGFC have named the area Bearcat Hollow WMA (Wildlife Management Area) this year and will allow 5 elk to be taken off of the new WMA.

Force Base, the general public, and all of our partners. We could not have done it without everyone’s support. We started out four years ago with 19 volunteers.

This year on our chosen work weekend we had 83+ people show up to volunteer

to help. I am so inspired by all the young people and students and impressed by their ability and responsibility for the work they have done in support for this project. I know two or more students who changed their majors after volunteering to help at BCH and seeing what we were doing. It impressed them so much that they wanted to go into fieldwork with wildlife. Just to know that made such an impact on me, to know that the habitat work we are all doing helped them decide to change their majors so they could do more for wildlife and our environment. It also makes me feel good to know so many young people, I think, will care onward into the future with this project or other work that will help positively impact wildlife and our environment for the benefit of future generations.

Almost every time we do a volunteer work day or work weekend the first and last question I get asked is, “When will we have another work day? Can we help?” I can’t tell you how good that makes me feel for them to know and see what we are doing and that they are a major part of the project. I’m happy that they understand that we all have to help conservation and the environment for their generation and for generations to come.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has been a part of the Bearcat Hollow Cooperative Habitat Project. I am just so over whelmed by everyone’s support. A special thanks to National Forest Foundation for their financial support to make this project happen.

Wayne Shewmake President AWF

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President - Wayne Shewmake 1st VP - Ellen McNulty 2nd VP - Odies Wilson, III Treasurer - Gary Bush Secretary - Clay Spikes Arkansas Wildlife Federation is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization and AWF (tax# 71-6059226) IRS Requirements: You are receiving $10 in goods for your membership, through AWF bi-monthly newspaper

Arkansas Wildlife Federation P.O. Box 56380 Little Rock, AR 72215 (501) 888-4770 arkwf@sbcglobal.net www.arkansaswildlifefederation.org

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October- 3

Youth Elk hunt on Bearcat Hollow WMA 2013

by Wayne Shewmake

Arkansas Wildlife Federation (AWF) was established in 1936 by a group of conservation minded sportsmen and women of Arkansas to help promote conservation of Arkansas wildlife. One of the many projects AWF has been working on in recent years is known as the Bearcat Hollow Cooperative Habitat Project (BCH) located in the Ozark National Forest. BCH was started partly because of the red oak borer; a one-inch, longhorned beetle, considered a pest, which destroyed a large portion of the oak trees in the Ozark National Forest. Work studies began in 2002 with several meeting by professionals who cared about conservation and our National Forest.

AWF has been a big part of the planning stage as well. The organization has been completing hours and hours of hands-onthe-ground work for this project. AWF, along with its partners, have had 337 volunteers putting in more than 7,100+ man hours over the past four years after finishing work this past volunteer weekend in September 2013. A lot of money has also been put into the BCH by AWF and many of the partners. AWF could not have done it without the help and effort from all of our partners and volunteers.

The project, located on US Forest Service land, is meant to benefit all wildlife and is open for public use. Though gates have been

installed to protect the areas where there are fields being utilized, those areas can still be accessed by foot. Each gate allows room for a hiker, walk in tent camper, bird watcher, hunter, or anyone else to walk in. Wheeled vehicles are prevented for the sake of protecting the fields which are a food source for the wide variety of animals. Clearing the non-native/invasive species of plants and trees, brush hogging, placing lime and fertilizer on the field, sowing seeds to provide native grasses and clovers, and maintaining the field is expensive. Allowing vehicles to damage the fields would be costly and counterproductive. Many of the people accessing the fields are there to view nature or hunt, but if the food source is ruined then the wildlife will be elsewhere seeking sustenance and the remaining vegetation will be dead or dying.

It may seem silly to relate this information and that it should be common sense, but AWF hears the arguments on a regular basis by people wanting access to the fields. It’s a catch-22 situation that can be easily resolved.

The studies and the designated plan by the U S Forest Service and other partners allows the wildlife to prosper, which it has, in part, thanks to the efforts of the BCH partners.

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission donated AWF a youth elk tag to be used as a fundraiser at AWF’s 2013 “Annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet,” held in August each year. This is AWF’s opportunity to say thank you to all of those individuals, organizations, and companies which have gone the “Extra Mile” for conservation in Arkansas. The youth elk tag is used as a live auction item with a portion of the proceeds going back to AGFC to help support conservation for the elk in Arkansas. This is the third year AWF has received the youth elk tag. The first two years both of the young men were able to take a 5 X 7 bull elk on AGFC’s Gene Rush WMA (Wildlife Management Area) each.

Due to the results of all the work being done on BCH the AGFC commissioners voted to make Bearcat Hollow a new WMA and allow five elk to be taken in the 2013 elk hunt.

At the Awards Banquet this year, Clint Lusk, a gentleman from Hector, Arkansas, was the purchaser of the youth elk tag for his son Cain, who was going to be 12 in Sep-

tember. This would be part of his birthday present. Needless to say, Cain was surprised and pleased. How often is it that a young person has the chance to go elk hunting with his dad and grandpa in Arkansas?

The dates were set by AGFC for the elk hunt to run October 7-11, 2013 for the first hunt which included the youth elk tag AWF had auctioned off. I asked Clint if it was okay for me to come along and try to film the hunt and to be a part of it, since AWF had put a lot of time and money into the BCH. I wanted to see the first hunt on Bearcat Hollow WMA. Clint, Cain, his grandpa Jimmy and grandmother Gullett all went up on Saturday before the opening day to do more scouting. I got up early Monday morning and drove up there to get out into the woods before daylight. We were all very excited but I think Cain was most excited. It was a beautiful morning, about 46 degrees, light wind, and clear skies and an ideal morning. We got to our location before daylight and heard two or more bull elk bugle, an elk’s way to call his cows to him.

We started into a field and saw a bull and three cows but we couldn’t tell how big the bull was. They all went into the woods, moving away from us. We set up in hopes they would return. During the interim we heard several bulls bugle all around us in the new Bearcat Hollow WMA. After several hours of waiting we decided to look at other locations for signs of elk. We found some

but decided to go back to the first location to see if they would come back that evening.

We returned approximately 4 pm and set up about 10 yards apart, watching in two different directions simultaneously. As the evening wore on and it was getting close to sunset we heard some bulls bugle once again off in the distance. More of them began to bugle and started to move a little closer to our location.

Just after sundown a cow and calf came into view of Cain and his dad. I wasn’t aware of the fact because I was several feet away watching the other direction. About the same time I heard some loud noises coming from my direction and looked to my right. Four cows and a big 6 X 7 bull elk came into my view about 75+ yards away.

I picked up a small rock and tossed it in Cain’s direction, motioning for him to hurry over to me. I tried to do all of this without being noticed by the elk. Here comes Cain, almost running. I had to stop him from going too far, afraid the elk might see him.

He lay down and put his gun across my leg for a rest and took aim. BANG! The big bull just stood there. I told him to reload and try again. He did and again, BANG! Again, the big bull just stood there while the cows were running all over the place not sure what was going on. I tried to calm him down and told him to reload, take a deep breath and pick a good spot. He did just that and BANG, down went the bull.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

4 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013

2013 Conservation Achievement Awards Huge Success

by Ethan Nahté

AWF held their Governor’s Annual Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet August 24th at The Center of Bryant, and what a successful ceremonial event it was. This was the third year in a row for the event to be held at that particular location; the event taking up all three basketball courts, the railing along the upper-level track, the back delivery area filled with the rich smell of the smoked Cornish hens and fried quail being cooked fresh on the spot, and the entire kitchen being taken over by AWF board members and volunteers.

Approximately 600 attendees dined on a delicious meal which also consisted of smoked catfish, venison chili, fresh homemade bread, veggies, pasta, fruits, and dessert. Attendees also enjoyed the art display, had the opportunity to visit with other organizations associated with AWF, were able to bid on silent or live auction items and, most importantly, they were there to honor the evening’s award recipients.

This year’s theme was “Support Our Troops” and the military was well represented by the Little Rock Air Force Base, members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marines, U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Army. Brigadier General Keith A. Klemmer of the U.S. Army National Guard was the special guest speaker, taking over the microphone from the evening’s emcee, KARK fishing report host Vincent “Big Sarge” Sherrill. Klemmer spoke about conservation and the outdoors before introducing four Wounded Warriors, CPT Patricia Yearout, SSG Perry Hopman, and SPC Scott Hutton and CSM Steven Veazey, each of whom had a story to tell about enjoying nature and the outdoors, be it hunting, fishing, camping or sight-seeing. AWF has worked somewhat closely with Wounded Warrior Project, assisting them with their duck hunt last December then putting on the inaugural bass tournament on Lake Dardanelle this past June along with the help of many cosponsors.

“Big Sarge” took the stand once again as he announced this year’s award winners as AWF President Wayne Shewmake, Brigadier General Klemmer, and AGFC Commissioner Steve Cook handed out the trophies and plaques. This year was a bit different in that AWF chose two Student Conservationists of the Year, Jared Schluterman of Arkansas Tech University and Lauren Ray of University of the Ozarks. In addition to the awards from AWF and AGFC (Hunting Education Instructor and Boating Education Instructor) a moment was observed as Rebecca Campora, widow of AGFC Wildlife Officer Joel L. Campora, came up to accept his posthumous recognition for his ultimate sacrifice as he and Scott County Sheriff Cody Carpenter attempted to save two women during the floods that ravaged Y City this past spring.

National Wildlife Federation’s Nicole Wood, Region 5 Director for AWF’s parent organization, also presented a Connie Award for Special Achievement to Mayor Jordan of Fayetteville for the great work the city has done in obtaining and maintaining

its Community Wildlife certification. That actually makes two years in a row that NWF has awarded someone from Arkansas a Connie for Special Achievement, last year’s award going to Dwayne Rambo of the US Forest Service.

A special recognition was also given by Wounded Warrior Project to AWF as appreciation for their work with the group. “Big Sarge” also took a moment for the audience to recognize H.A.W.K. director Lynne Slater in honor of her work with rehabilitating animals, especially the work she and volunteers did as a first response team in assisting animals covered in crude oil from the oil spill in Mayflower last March.

The surprises weren’t over. Not every award AWF has to offer is always given. Out of the past four years of Shewmake’s presidency no one has been awarded the President’s Award, which is not voted on by the public.

The recipient of the award is chosen by the current AWF president. Shewmake surprised director-at-large Bobby Hacker for all of his hard work that he has done with helping AWF get the necessary arrangements made for a variety of details needed to help clean up the new AWF property as well as his work with Ken Sharp in getting the temporary building wired and the interior completed to make it into a workable office.

Then Shewmake had Dr. Charles Logan, his wife Joyce, and their children come up as he presented him with the Platinum Mallard Award to recognize their donation not

only of the aforementioned property, but the Logan family’s other donations and volunteer work over the years.

Chris Workman of Workman’s Auction closed out the evening with his skills, throwing out numbers left and right as the audience bid on a variety of items including resort stays and hunts. Of course the youth elk hunt was the item that was of interest to many, eventually going to the Lusk family (see article page 3.)

Next year’s banquet will be August 23, 2014. Generally the event is held the last weekend of August, but once again that would put the event in competition with Labor Day Weekend. Time and Location to be announced, and nomination forms will be available in an upcoming issue of AOOD, but it’s never too early to start considering or sending in your nominations for the categories listed below. In the meantime, if you know any of the winners, shake their hand and let them know you appreciate the effort they make for conservation and wildlife.

AWF’s 2013 Conservation Achievement Award Winners: Harold Alexander Conservationist of the Year ������������������������������������� Zach McClendon, Jr. Rex Hancock Wildlife Conservationist of the Year ��������������������������������� City of Fayetteville Dr. John L. Gray Forestry Conservationist of the Year ��������������Deltic Timber Corporation Carol Griffee Conservation Communicator of the Year ���������������������������������� KARN News Water Conservationist of the Year �������������������������������������������������������Arkansas Stream Team Student Conservationist of the Year ����������������������������������������������������������������������Lauren Ray Student Conservationist of the Year ������������������������������������������������������ Jared R. Schluterman Corporate Conservationist of the Year �������������������������������������������������� ConAgra Foods, Inc. Conservation Organization of the Year �������������������������Central Arkansas Master Naturalists Conservation Educator of the Year �������������������������������������������������������������������Creative Ideas President’s Award ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� Bobby Hacker AGFC Hunting Education Instructor of the Year ���������������������������������������������� Mary Zirkle AGFC Boating Education Instructor of the Year ��������������������������������������������Gregory Deen AGFC Wildlife Officer of the Year ���������������������������������������������������������������� Joel L. Campora NWF Connie Award Special Achievement �������������������������������������������Mayor Lioneld Jordan

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October- 5

Gordon Bagby AGFC Education Specialist Central Arkansas Nature Center

Fall is the favorite time of year for many people with the onset of cooler weather, football season, and the opening of most hunting seasons in Arkansas. Hunters should carefully read the 2013-14 Arkansas Hunting Guidebook available at Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) locations, www.agfc.com and hunting license dealers around the state. Each year the guidebook has a page titled, “New This Year” that lists changes from previous regulations. The two biggest changes this year are on deer carcass tagging and feral hog transportation.

Page 28 of the guidebook contains examples of carcass identification tags that must be attached to all portions of big game animals if the head is removed from the body until point of final storage. This means if hunters kill deer, elk, bear, alligator or turkey and field dress the animal by removing meat from the body, each portion must be immediately tagged. There have been problems in identifying portions in the past, especially in hunting clubs and leases with multiple hunters, so this regulation is meant to solve those issues.

The state legislature passed Act 1104 that makes it illegal to transport live feral hogs in Arkansas. It is illegal to release feral hogs in Arkansas and people are allowed to shoot feral hogs at any time, day or night, on private property and do not have to take any portion of the carcass. On public property, feral hogs may be shot with any hunting equipment that is legal for open hunting seasons but people must have hunting licenses to do so. AGFC offers a $1,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to arrest of persons releasing feral hogs in Arkansas. Notify the agency by calling 800-482-9262 or texting 847411 and remain anonymous if you prefer to do so.

Modern gun deer season opens Saturday, November 9. Hunters should carefully read deer zone, wildlife management area and national wildlife refuge season information before hunting. Licenses are available at AGFC locations, www.agfc.com and license dealers statewide.

AGFC has released the late migratory bird seasons in coordination with US Fish and Wildlife guidelines. Arkansas will have a 60-day duck, American coot and merganser season in three splits: Nov. 23-Dec. 1, Dec. 5-23, and Dec. 26-Jan. 26. Waterfowl hunting guidebooks are available at www.agfc.com and will soon be at AGFC locations and hunting license dealers statewide.

For more information on waterfowl seasons, visit www.agfc.com/hunting.

Hunters, taxidermists and meat processors asked to help in keeping Arkansas CWD free LITTLE ROCK – Commissioners with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission have implemented new rules in an effort to increase Arkansas’s defenses against chronic wasting disease. This disease is more commonly known as CWD. The ailment, which has no known cure, has taken a heavy toll on deer and the tradition of deer hunting in other states – but not Arkansas. To date, no cases of CWD have been found in the state, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, along with several thousand Arkansans, want to keep it that way. With the help of hunters, taxidermists and meat processors here in Arkansas, the AGFC hopes to do just that.

A critical line of defense is not bringing in the carcasses of cervids (members of the deer family) from other states. Cervids include all deer species, elk, moose and caribou. With the new carcass importation regulation in place, only certain portions of these specific species may be brought into or transported through Arkansas. This carcass ban further reduces the risk of infecting Arkansas’s deer and elk herd.

“Know before you go,” said Cory Gray, AGFC’s deer program coordinator. “Arkansas hunters can still bring home their successes from other states but they are now required to take a few extra steps in doing so.”

This means whole or quartered carcasses are not allowed. In the past, hunters have often partially processed game animals, packed them into coolers and headed home. Because CWD resides in numerous locations throughout a cervid’s body, removing those portions prior to transport greatly reduces the chance of transferring the disease to a new location.

So what portions may out-of-state hunters bring back to or even through Arkansas?

They can bring back: Antlers and/or antlers attached to clean skull plate or cleaned skulls (all tissue removed) • Meat with all bones removed • Cleaned teeth • Finished taxidermy products • Hides or tanned products What is CWD? CWD is a neurological (brain and nervous system) disease found in cervids and is always fatal. CWD is similar to mad cow disease in cattle and scrapie in sheep. The disease belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies or prion diseases. Prions are abnormally shaped proteins that are not destroyed by cooking. Prions generally accumulate in the brain, eyes, spinal cord, lymph nodes, tonsils, and spleen of infected animals.

Scientists do not completely understand how CWD is spread, although research indicates the agent responsible for the disease may be spread directly through animal-toanimal contact or indirectly through the soil or other surface-to-animal contact.

More information Not only should out of state hunters know the cervid carcass importation rules in their home or destination state, they should also know the rules of the state(s) they will be passing through with their harvest. For more information on CWD and individual state regulations concerning cervid carcass importation rules visit www.cwd-info.org.

6 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013

Bearcat Hollow 2013

by Wayne Shewmake

The Bearcat Hollow project is located northwest of Witt Springs in Newton and Searcy County and is a part of the Ozark Highlands Eco region. This Eco region contains one of the largest contiguous remnant systems of oak woodlands, forest, and savannas in the United States. Research in the restoration area on Big Piney Ranger District has shown that prior to restoration actions; approximately seven (7) species were evident per acre. After restoration actions, up to 75 species per acre have been identified, including native grasses, birds, reptiles, insects and other game and nongame species. Restoration recommended in the wildlife management area will provide habitat for elk to expand by improving pastures and creating openings composed of native species forage year round and reduce wildlife impact on private lands.

The strategy for addressing these issues, and other significant forest health issues, is divided into four parts: 1) Terrestrial Habitats; 2) Aquatic Habitats; 3) Invasive Species; and 4) Monitoring. AWF will be assist-

ing with activities associated with terrestrial habitats and monitoring. The first set of objectives for the terrestrial habitat strategy is to identify areas that would support open habitats and thin these areas to the appropriate tree density, and also conduct prescribe burns on a 3 to 5 year rotation. The second set of objectives is to create openings that can be maintained through haying, brush hogging and/or prescribed fire. The Forest Service has completed 128,085 acres of restoration thinning and/or prescribed burning.

Monitoring data collected by The Nature Conservancy, Arkansas Heritage Commission, and US Forest Service shows that the areas that have been thinned and burned multiple times have increased species richness for plants by as much as five fold. In addition, two research projects have shown an increase in both small mammals and avian populations in this area.

Over 150 endemic species call the Ozarks home, but the wildlife habitats and forested ecosystems in this area are declining and are becoming less resilient. This fact is never more evident when you consider 1.5 million acres of forested habitats were impacted by

a native pest throughout the 1990’s, the red oak borer. Many areas were left with few residual red oak trees. Researchers and experts believe this situation is a direct result of fire suppression over the past century and forest management practices during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. These practices allowed forest density to increase, age classes of trees to become less diverse, and certain tree species to move off-site. These changes have significantly altered wildlife habitats, especially open habitats such as glades and woodlands. Over 40% of the terrestrial species of viability concern on the Ozark National Forest utilize these habitats. Also, large ungulates, such as elk and bison, had a significant effect on the ecosystems, but they were extirpated during the late 1800’s.

Elk were reintroduced to the state within the project area during the 1980’s.

This is Arkansas Wildlife Federation’s (AWF) fourth year to be working on the Bearcat Hollow Cooperative Habitat Project in the Ozark National Forest. We have more than one work day during the year, but “National Public Lands Day,” the last weekend in September each year, has seen the largest number of volunteers come out to help on the project. Bearcat Hollow is located within the Ozark Na-

tional Forest and includes hiking trails, horse trails, 4-wheeler trails, wildlife viewing areas, hunting and fishing opportunities all open to the public. Bearcat Hollow Phase I includes approximately 6,600 acres with 460 acres of openings that have been created for wildlife. These openings are ideal for wildlife. They have been planted with native clovers and bluestem grasses. The openings vary in size from 5 acres to 45 acres. Work being done by AWF is hands-on work done by volunteers. AWF and some of the partners have applied for and received grant money from National Forest Foundation to accomplish the work being done, and likewise has received national attention and recognition, including being one of ten 2012 recipients of the” Conservation Hero for a Day Award” from Field & Stream/Toyota. We have attended several meetings and talked to a lot of groups about the work and the need for volunteers to help on the project. In 2010 we had 19 volunteers and logged 577 man hours for the project. In 2013 we had 84 volunteers and logged 1,700 man hours.

All total for the pasts four years, AWF had 337 volunteers and logged over 7,100+ man hours.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October- 7 In 2013 work began on Phase II, which incorporates approximately 34,000 acres and will have 1,500 acres of openings once completed. Monitoring of plants and wildlife will continue in both areas.

You may have read some of the other articles I have written about Bearcat Hollow and the work AWF and other partners are doing to benefit wildlife.

Like I said this is our fourth year and the work continues. The results are getting easier to see. AWF and our partners have been monitoring the birds, turkeys, deer and elk in the general area, giving everyone a good overall view of the population as the work is being done. As I drive through the area I see a lot more deer, bear, elk, and turkeys in the new fields created. I also see more species of birds, butterflies, snakes, and mammals. Wildlife has increased enough that in 2013 AGFC and USFS have designated the Bearcat Hollow as a new Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and this year elk hunting was allowed on Bearcat Hollow WMA, allowing for five elk to be taken.

In the four years AWF has been working we have planted native trees and seeded fields for wildlife, removed old fences, installed 16 new gates, installed some fence, contracted to put lime and fertilizer on fields we planted, removed trash on Forest Service roads and along Richland Creek, brush hogged fields, sowed seed and covered with straw around several ponds, put woody debris in ponds for the aquatics, installed cameras to observe wildlife, placed bird houses, bat houses, & wood duck boxes on openings, and monitored birds, turkeys, deer and elk in the area.

This year we worked on installing new gates on the openings, picked up fields to be planted, contracted to put lime on four fields, put up 40 blue bird houses, and helped rebuild part of the Richland Creek camp grounds. We were able to get volunteers from some of our partners, US Forest Service, AGFC, NWTF, RMEF, NWF, NFF, YCWF, The Nature Conservancy, students from ATU Fisheries & Wildlife Society, University of the Ozark’s Planet Club, UALR, some of America’s finest from Little Rock Air Force Base, and individuals who just wanted to help. We had a very diverse group.

We had over 1000 hits on AWF’s Facebook page the week of the event and over 2400 hits within 48 hours of posting pictures of the event. It really makes me feel good to see so much interest in conservation, the impact on wildlife in the “Natural State,” and the education all of these young people are getting and to see what we are doing for their future.

Thank you for all of the great comments from those involved and we are proud that the volunteers and others can see the results for all the hard work being done for future generations. For others interested in conservation don’t just talk, put your words into actions. Come and join AWF in creating habitat for future generations.

If you would like to help please contact AWF: arkwf@sbcglobal.net 501-888-4770 Facebook.com/ArkansasWildlifeFederation www.arkansaswildlifefederation.org

Trail Tales

By Johnny Sain, Jr.

I was part of an Arkansas Tech Research project this past spring. The project focused on Ozark Food culture and my portion of the research centered on the historical aspect of food culture in the mountains. Of course the importance of food for nutrition is obvious, but maybe you haven’t considered other aspects of life influenced by food.

Finding, securing, eating and digesting food is the key to body form and physiology. It’s why we have such diversity of life on planet Earth.

Wolves have big canines, long legs and amazing stamina because they have evolved to run down and kill other animals. Deer have grinding molars and three-chambered stomachs because wringing nutrients out of a diet made up entirely of fibrous vegetation takes a lot of processing. We humans are no different, but the food we eat and how we get it shapes more than our physical bodies. It shapes our attitude as well.

Those earliest Ozark inhabitants knew some things about procuring food that we have forgotten. They knew that it was better to work with the environment as opposed to conquering it. The Native Americans who first utilized the mountains were seasonal visitors.

They came to the Ozarks to hunt, but they also utilized fruits and other plants always aware that survival was dependent on knowledge of and interaction within the environment. Going with flow, taking what was available and working within the bounds of nature was the key. They were part of the wilderness and expressed their gratitude for its bounty in many ways. The most resounding and obvious expression was their respect for it.

This wasn’t just a native idea either. The earli-

est Euro-American settlers did the same things.

The technology to clear land on a massive scale and move water for irrigation over large areas was not available. The only way to survive was to work within the bounds of what nature allowed. They too became a part of the environment and expressed their gratitude primarily through respect. But as circumstances changed, attitudes changed as well.

Since those bygone days we’ve moved into a different form of environmental interaction.

A burgeoning population and an economy that has moved away from subsistence and into excess have changed our perspective about the land, the water and its wild inhabitants. All of these natural resources, these natural treasures, are reduced to commodities. And then we wonder why there is a disconnect between our children and nature. I’ll argue that we are lacking in respect and gratitude for the land.

This attitude has been passed down, both directly and indirectly, to our kids.

You could say that earlier Ozark inhabitants of any stripe didn’t have other options, an interwoven relationship with the environment was the only card to play and I’d have to agree with that argument. I’m not trying to romanticize. No question that Homo sapiens from any era were pragmatic and used what was available to the maximum benefit. Given the tools they might have traveled down the same road we’re on now. But you’ve got to wonder if that awareness of intimacy, of dependence on Mother Earth is something imbedded in humanity. Maybe we just forgot who we are.

8 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013

Spiders & Other Creepy-Crawlies

by Environmentally Ellie May

If Mary Mary was quite contrary to spiders, she failed to mention it. Without a doubt, I am. During a recent encounter with a black widow while rummaging through my fall garden, it occurred to me that if there is a hell, it is full of these beady eyed monsters. But, while trying to identify what I had mangled and squushed, I found that the Internet is chock full of as much misinformation as there is good. I did find one site in particular to be quite helpful; www.spiderzrule.com.

Although I could not tell who manages the site, I found everything I needed to know in one spot. If you don’t know a jumping spider from a black widow - easy mistake, this website tells you and makes it easy to be certain of what you have. It contains everything you need to know about spiders: FAQs, Games for kids, and even helpful tips. Worried about spiders crawling into your bed? Spray lemon Pledge on your wood. They don’t like the taste apparently. Sounds like a must try to me. And, it wouldn’t hurt to clean it anyway. Now, where did I put the Pledge last year?

Another good site, from the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture: http://www.uark.edu/ua/arthmuse/ gallery.html. This site covers chiggers, scorpions, ticks and every other vile creature of our state along with an identification service provided by Museum Curator, Dr. Jeffrey Barnes. Yes, apparently if Arkansas has a bug, they have a hermetically sealed sample of it. If you are a bug geek, this place is the place for you.

Some of you may ask, why not just spray everything, kill them all and be forever rid of them? We actually need to leave the good bugs alone. Arkansas has two types of spiders that are of concern to us; the black widow and the brown recluse. Unless the general spider population is causing a problem to you in some way, do (try to stay calm and) let them live. After all, they play an important role in our ecosystem, by eating insects we don’t like such as mosquitoes (and the bad spiders). They also serve as a food source for birds, as well. Overuse of pesticides that kill everything eradicates the insects that prey on the dangerous spiders - and can weaken the eggshells of our songbirds. So, while it is incredibly tempting to douse every stick or blade of grass you own with an overly concentrated toxin, do use some restraint.

You are actually making your home more habitable for the venomous guys. By attempting to kill everything, you are making them grow stronger with no natural predators in their habitat.

In the meantime, from spiderzrule.com, this spider repellant might offer you some relief in your living spaces: Ingredients: Peppermint, Lavender or any natural soap.

1 ounce of Neem Oil 1 to 5 drops of any Essential Plant Oils to 1 Quart of water Catnip Oil, Citronella Oil, Lavender Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Peppermint Oil, Citrus Oil, Tea Tree Oil, or other essential oils.

Add 5 tablespoons of the soap per quart water. Add one ounce of the Neem oil to the water which you have added the soap and label it. Shake well and spray inside house where spiders are seen. Test for strength. May be done as often as needed.

This is not a long term solution but will provide you immediate help. Oils may stain some fabrics or light-color furnishings, so do test first. To spray outside the house: Use the same formula to spray the foundation, eaves and soffits, and the areas around doors, windows and crawls space, or attic vents, or any area where you see spiders congregating. You can also use any citrus based cleaner like Citra Solv at 1 oz. per quart water. Spray around the outside of the house or where spiders congregate.

And, if you are seeing the brown recluse or black widow spiders inside your house, do call a professional. And, be extra careful when donning your gardening gloves and house slippers. Oh - and, you might not find it in your abbreviated and incomplete dictionary, but “Squushed - V or Adj. meaning a seriously disfigured spider discovered by a country girl.”

Now. Where did I put the Pledge?

Bad Water Bill Officially Repealed

by Al Wolff

Act 954 was repealed and signed by Governor Beebe on Monday, October 21, 2013. By a 90-0 vote, it passed HB1002, which repeals a state law relaxing water-quality standards.

Rep. Andy Davis (R-Little Rock) sponsored legislation to repeal Act 954 of 2013, a law he had proposed during the 2013 regular session. The Senate passed the bill 33-0.

Act 954 removes the default drinking-water designation for Arkansas waterways and changes the method by which the state Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) measures minerals in the water, requiring monitoring at 4 cubic feet per second or the average flow of the stream, whichever is greater.

Critics of the law, including drawing opposition from federal officials, have said it allows for an increase in the number of minerals in the state’s waterways and potentially endangers drinking-water sources.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency objected to permits issued by ADEQ under the new law. If the objections were not resolved, the EPA could “federalize” the permit program, state officials warned.

“I like my crow with beans,” Davis said.

According to an email from Arkansas Policy Panel’s Bill Kopsky, he stated that Senator Elliott spoke directly to Rep. Davis who promised he would not even introduce any legislation like this ever again including the 2015 session. Even original supporters of Act 954 realized they couldn’t support it any longer after they saw how the act ran afoul of federal guidelines, giving them little option but to stand down and allow Act 954 to be repealed.

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October- 9

Bass Pro Grand Opening

by Al Wolff

It has taken over 40 years to cross the border from Springfield, Missouri and make its way to Little Rock, Arkansas, but The Natural State is getting its first Bass Pro Shop. The grand opening is just around the corner in time for the holidays. The outdoor chain that provides fishing, hunting, camping and all kinds of other outdoor gear has set Wednesday, November 13th, for its ribbon-cutting ceremony at 6 p.m. The doors open to the public from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. The 120,000SF location is at Little Rock’s Gateway Town Center.

It’s located on 169-acres and is easily visible just west of the I-30 and I-430 interchange, which is the most highly traveled high profile intersection in the state; just take the Otter Creek Drive exit.

According to the Bass Pro website, nationally, Bass Pro Shops will host over 113 million people visiting their 58 stores across America and Canada this year. The average customer stays 2 ½ hours and drives an average distance of 50+ miles. Bass Pro Shops was recently named by Advertising Age magazine as one of the Top 10 Hottest Brands in America along with name brands such as Old Spice, M&M’s, iPad and Droid. Also, Bass Pro Shops has been recognized numerous times for their conservation and outdoor education efforts.

Bass Pro Shops’ unique exterior and interior motifs have branded them as visually appealing, high quality outdoor stores. The outdoors feel is brought indoors through massive log and rock work, large indoor aquariums and water features stocked with native fish species as well as an extensive collection of museum quality fish and wildlife mounts. Historic photos and exhibits will pay tribute to Arkansas’s great outdoor heritage.

Back in August the design team responsible for manufacturing the displays and natural-looking environments

contacted AWF to inquire about finding information on native flora and natural attractions within Arkansas so they could recreate items specific to the Arkansas location. They invited executive director Ethan Nahté to meet with them at the new location and spent an hour discussing a variety of places to visit or check out that are important sites for Arkansans and tourists. Whether any of that information will be utilized in the final version of the store is unknown, but at least Nahté was able to connect the artists and sculptors to groups such as Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission to obtain more information on native grasses, plants, and trees.

If you have never been to Bass Pro Shop, they are more than just a hunting and fishing store. They also offer equipment and clothing for hiking, backpacking, wildlife viewing, camping, outdoor cooking and more.

A gift and nature center will also serve up a wide variety of outdoor-related items from lamps and dishes to bird feeders and furniture.

“We have been hoping for a store in Little Rock for a long time and, thanks to [developer]Tommy Hodges we believe we have found the best location possible,” stated Johnny Morris Founder of Bass Pro Shops. “We are very excited to bring Bass Pro Shops to Little Rock and committed to give our long time customers an unforgettable shopping experience at our newest generation store which will be located next to a beautiful 5-acre lake.

“We are excited and optimistic that we will be able to include a Bradford Marine Center with an expansive boat showroom featuring America’s most popular boat brands Tracker, Nitro, SunTracker, Tahoe, Grizzly and Mako boats built right here in the Ozarks,” added Morris. “Knox and Pat Bradford and their family have been our #1 Tracker Boat dealer many times and are very special friends.”

It’s good to know that another outdoor retailer is keeping Arkansas in mind as it prepares to open its doors. The effort to work with companies and organizations within the state says a lot about a company and should hopefully serve Bass Pro Shops well.

...CONT. FROM PAGE 3 We were all so excited and proud of Cain. We all congratulated him and went over to check out the big bull. Meanwhile, the cows all ran off into the woods.

We hurriedly walked over to the downed elk to look it over, get some pictures and to again congratulate Cain on a job well done.

We contacted AGFC and told them about our kill and gave them our location so they could get the information we needed to fill out about the hunt and the kill.

Ray Wiggs and Wes Wright, both with AGFC, came over and helped us load the big bull which we guessed to weigh about 700+ lbs. The AGFC biologists collected some samples to check for diseases in the herd. We got it loaded, filled out all the vital information, took it back to camp for his grandmother to see, and to make the necessary calls to family and friends.

Clint and I had to follow proper procedure in removing the entrails and putting blocks of ice into the cavity to help with the cooling process before taking it to Wild Game Processing in Dardanelle to get it skinned and caped out for mounting later, as well as into refrigeration as soon as possible. It field dressed at 469 lbs. Not a record, but a thrill of a lifetime for a young man and his family whom all got to spend special time together and reap the benefits of success, providing memories that will last a life time.

Cain, his family, and AWF would like to thank AGFC for their donation of the youth elk tag, and the US Forest Service and all the partners for the work being done on Ozark National Forest allowing the Bearcat Hollow Project to become a new Wildlife Management Area. This hunt could not have happened if it were not for a lot of concerned sportsmen and government agencies that had worked together to improve the habitat for wildlife in this area. The work being done on BCH will continue for some time with hopes that it will progress in not only benefiting wildlife but also the public who want to use the area for hiking, horse trail riding, watching wildlife, or for those who like to hunt.

This is the first elk to be taken on USFS land in Arkansas; the first elk to be taken on Bearcat Hollow WMA; and the first elk Cain Lusk has taken, but we hope he and his family will continue to enjoy the out of doors together as a family.

10 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013

Fourteen-Year-Old Girl Finds 3.85-Carat Canary Diamond

(MURFREESBORO, Ark.)–After hearing about the 5.16-carat, honey brown diamond found at the Crater of Diamonds State Park on July 31 by 12-year-old Michael Dettlaff of Apex, North Carolina, 14-year-old Tana Clymer and her family from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, decided to experience Arkansas’s diamond site for themselves. During their first visit to the Crater of Diamonds this week, Tana found a beautiful, 3.85-carat canary diamond yesterday while surface searching over the park’s 37 ½-acre search area. The yellow diamond is teardrop shaped and about the size of a jellybean.

According to Tana, she’d been digging and sifting in the dirt for about two hours, then surface searching for 10 minutes, when she noticed the diamond on the surface of the search field.

“I thought it was a piece of paper or foil from a candy wrapper,” she said. “Then, when I touched it, I thought it was a marble.” Tana told park officials, “I think God pointed me to it. I was about to sprint to join my family, and God told me to slow down and look. Then, I found the diamond!”

Tana said a prayer of thanks, and in His grace named her beautiful canary gem the God’s Jewel diamond.

Assistant Park Superintendent Bill Henderson said, “This canary diamond is very similar to the gem-quality, 4.21-carat canary diamond found at the Crater of Diamonds by Oklahoma State Trooper Marvin Culver of Nowata, Oklahoma, on March 12, 2006, a gem he named the Okie Dokie Diamond.” Henderson said, “And now, we’re celebrating

another canary diamond find by another Oklahoman!” He noted that Marvin Culver’s diamond was a beautiful representation of the high quality of diamonds that can be found at the Crater of Diamonds. “Tana’s diamond is, too,” he emphasized.

Marvin Culver’s 4.21-carat canary diamond was egg shaped and Tana’s 3.85-carat canary diamond is more of a teardrop shape. Her gem is the 396th diamond found so far this year.

On average, two diamonds are found a day by park visitors. The colors of diamonds found at the park are white, brown, and yellow, in that order.

Henderson continued, “No two diamonds are alike, and each diamond finder’s story is unique, too. What an experience for Tana to remember the rest of her life! Tana told me that she was so excited, she couldn’t sleep last night. She’s either going to keep the diamond for a ring, or, if it’s worth a lot, she’ll want that for college.”

Henderson noted that with this diamond, the current trend continues of visitors finding diamonds on the surface of the search field. Due to good rains this spring, and some especially hard rains this summer, many of the recent large diamonds were found right on the surface. Diamonds are a bit heavy for their size, so a good downpour will wash the dirt away, leaving the diamond exposed.

The search area at the Crater of Diamonds is a 37 ½-acre plowed field that is the eroded surface of the eighth largest diamond-bearing deposit in the world, in surface area. It is the world’s only diamond-producing site open to the public.

In addition to diamonds, semi-precious gems and minerals are found in the park’s search area including amethyst, garnet, peridot, jasper, agate, calcite, barite, and quartz. Over 40 different rocks and minerals are unearthed at the Crater making it a rock hound’s delight.

The park’s policy is finder-keepers. What park visitors

Sifted gravel souvenirs

by Waymon Cox

Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! With all of the rain we’ve had in recent weeks, I’ve enjoyed a number of rainy day activities at home with my family.

One activity that many visitors to our park may enjoy on rainy days involves an often misunderstood park rule that could pay dividends!

According to our diamond hunting rules and regulations, “No more than a sum total equivalent to five gallons of processed concentrate may be taken from the search area per paying customer per day.” In other words, Crater of Diamonds State Park visitors may take up to five gallons of sifted gravel home, per person, per day!

While many visitors leave with only a handful of rock and mineral souvenirs from the search area, some make the most of their time here by wet or dry sifting the diamond-bearing soil and saving the remaining gravel in a bag or bucket to sort through later. A few take advantage of the “five gallons” rule and carry out five gallon buckets full of processed material. That’s hard work!

I often tell visitors that the more gravel they sift in a day, the better their odds are of finding a diamond. In fact, many of the diamonds we register at the park are found by visitors who carry their sifted concentrates home and meticulously examine them for the diamond’s metallic shine!

Although visitors are allowed to remove sifted gravel from the search area, park

find is theirs to keep. The park staff provides free identification and registration of diamonds. Park interpretive programs and exhibits explain the site’s geology and history, and offer tips on recognizing diamonds in the rough.

Many factors help visitors who like to surface search for diamonds at the park. Park personnel regularly plow the diamond search area to bring fresh, eroded diamond ore to the surface. Then, erosion from heavy rains concentrates the heavy rocks and minerals, like diamonds, in the low-lying parts of the search area.

In total, over 75,000 diamonds have been unearthed at Arkansas’s diamond site since the first diamonds found in 1906 by John Huddleston, the farmer who at that time owned the land, long before the site became an Arkansas state park in 1972. The largest diamond ever discovered in the United States was unearthed here in 1924 during an early mining operation. Named the Uncle Sam, this white diamond with a pink cast weighed 40.23 carats. Notable diamonds found by park visitors since the state park was established at the site include the Amarillo Starlight, a 16.37-carat white diamond discovered in 1975 which ranks as the largest diamond ever found by a park visitor. The second largest find by a park visitor is the Star of

conservation efforts exclude the removal of unprocessed dirt. However, visitors are much more likely to find a diamond in sifted gravel than unsorted soil. For family or friends back home, the park gift shop sells small cotton bags of unsifted lamproite that they may search through. Some of our visitors have also been known to give bags of sifted gravel to family and friends as gifts.

It takes a little more effort to sift the diamond-bearing soil in order to take it home from the search area, but that’s part of the diamond mining experience that many visitors enjoy most about Crater of Diamonds State Park!

Portions of the search area are now plowed weekly.

Most recent significant precipitation: October 12, 2013 Diamond finds for the weeks of September 29 and October 6, 2013 (100 points = one carat): • No diamonds found September 29.

• September 30 – Adam Hardin, Norton, OH, 7 pt. yellow; Denise Hall, Palmyra, MO, 20 pt. white; Lee Hall, Palmyra, MO, 20 pt. brown • October 2 – Kenneth Shoemaker, Murfreesboro, AR, 22 pt. white; Michael Gausman, Rapid City, SD, 28 pt. white • October 7 – Raymond Howell, Picayune, MS, 9 pt. white • October 8 – Marcia Slocum, Cantonment, FL, 1.10 ct. white • October 10 – Richard Meador, Midland, AR, 7 pt. white • October 12 – Michael Green, Rapid City, SD, 23 pt. brown; Kathryn Christine Brown, Texarkana, AR, 48 pt. yellow; Robert Gibbs, North Wales, PA, 2 pt. white

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013 - 11 Shreveport, an 8.82-carat white gem unearthed in 1981. In 2011, a visitor from Colorado found an 8.66-carat white diamond she named the Illusion Diamond, which is the third-largest gem registered here since the Crater of Diamonds State Park was established in 1972.

Another notable diamond from the Crater of Diamonds that has received much national attention is the 1.09-carat Dflawless Strawn-Wagner Diamond. Discovered in 1990 by park visitor Shirley Strawn of Murfreesboro, this white gem weighed 3.03 carats in the rough before being cut to perfection in 1997 by the renowned diamond firm Lazare Kaplan International of New York. The gem is the most perfect diamond ever certified in the laboratory of the American Gem Society. It is on display in a special exhibit in the Crater of Diamonds State Park visitor center.

Another gem from the Crater is the flawless 4.25-carat Kahn Canary diamond that was discovered at the park in 1977.

This uncut, triangular-shape gem has been on exhibit at many cities around the U.S. and overseas. It was featured in an illustrious jewelry exhibition in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1997 that included precious stones from throughout the world including the Kremlin collection, the Vatican, Cartier, and Christies. And, in late 1997, the Kahn Canary was featured in another prestigious exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York entitled “The Nature of Diamonds.” Former First Lady Hillary Clinton borrowed the Kahn Canary from its owner, Stan Kahn of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and wore it in a special, Arkansas-inspired ring setting designed by Henry Dunay of New York as a special way to represent Arkansas’s diamond site at the galas celebrating both of Bill Clinton’s presidential inaugurals.

Crater of Diamonds State Park is on Ark. 301 at Murfreesboro. It is one of the 52 state parks administered by the State Parks Division of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.

For more information, contact: Bill Henderson, assistant park superintendent, Crater of Diamonds State Park, 209 State Park Road, Murfreesboro, AR 71958.

Phone: 870-285-3113. Email: bill.henderson@arkansas.gov or visit CraterofDiamondsStatePark.com.

The Devil’s Eyebrow

by Bob Morgan

Northwest Arkansas is known as a hotbed for biodiversity. We are an ecotone.

That means our location is a transition from one ecosystem to another. Ecotones tend to have species from both ecosystems. Think of a map of the U.S. Arkansas sits between the Great Plains and the Gulf Coastal Plain. We also are in the transition from the humid east to the drier west. Essentially we are a mixing zone.

From a biodiversity point, The Devil’s Eyebrow is the crème de la crème. These 2000-plus rugged acres at the head of Indian Creek on Beaver Lake have so far escaped development. Every cloud has a silver lining. The silver lining of the 2008 great recession was that the Devil’s Eyebrow came up for sale. Last year the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission teamed up with The Nature Conservancy and bought the Eyebrow. Now the property is conserved. It is a boon for nature and the citizens of Arkansas.

It was cool and calm the morning of September 7. Just before dawn, our group of kayakers met in the parking lot at the Northwest Arkansas Community College.

The group included an ecologist, a microbiologist, an ecological engineer, a horticulturalist, a reformed dentist, a poet, and a businessman. Our destination was the Devil’s Eyebrow via Beaver Lake. Fortyfive minutes later we were launching our yaks in glassy smooth water at the Lost Bridge recreation area. Only one boat was visible from the launching ramp. The calm was about to be broken.

It’s three and a half miles from Lost Bridge to the Eyebrow. Each paddle stroke moves the kayak about 10 feet.

That’s 528 strokes per mile. Three and a

half miles is 1,848 strokes. For the first hundred strokes, conversation was polite.

The next couple hundred we were getting familiar. Six hundred strokes and we were old friends. Stories were a flyin’. Knowledge was being transferred.

The lake branched. Then it branched again. They all looked the same. At 1,500 strokes we came to yet one more branch. I went to the right. Three hundred strokes later we paddled up to a large gravel bar at the end of the lake. We got out and stretched our legs. I was relieved to see a property sign that said “The Nature Conservancy.”

We came to witness the biodiversity. The Eyebrow delivered. Of course, with seven folks talking full speed there was little wildlife. But the flora could not escape. A blue flower was growing on a bluff near our landing. I waded through some mud to get a closer look. It turned out to be Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia syphilitica). Lobelia is a common plant but I have never identified it before. It grows in damp woodlands in late summer. According to the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, the scientific name syphilitica comes from a mistaken belief that the plant cures syphilis. As we moved on up Indian Creek, it was one plant after another. Smartweed, wild hydrangea, spice bush, gum plant, day flower, goldenrod, and the prize of the day, pawpaws.

We were in the middle of the biggest pawpaw patch I have ever seen!

Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is a fruit tree native to America. The fruit grows in bunches much like bananas. They ripen in late summer. Pawpaws are harvested by shaking the tree and picking the falling fruit off of the ground. Opossums, squirrels, raccoons, fox and birds all eat pawpaws. The Zebra Swallowtail butterfly also uses the tree as a host plant (Georgia Wildlife Federation).

Until the end of World War II, pawpaws were common in American homes. Since

then, it has become easier to import tropical fruits. The pawpaw is now more of a novelty than a food. I do not remember ever eating one. The taste is reported to be a cross between bananas and vanilla custard. Pawpaws may become commercially available in the near future. There are now several pawpaw orchards. Hopefully, they will become available locally. The data on the Internet indicates the tree is easily grown. To get fruit, more than one tree is needed as the pawpaw does not fertilize itself.

The pawpaw tree goes way back in American history. According to Barry Glick of the GardenWeb, DeSoto, who explored the south in 1540, wrote of the pawpaw. At the time, Native Americans cultivated the tree for its fruit. George Washington is said to have been fond of pawpaws and Thomas Jefferson cultivated them in his gardens at Monticello (Earthy Delights). In 1810, Lewis and Clark’s expedition ran low on provisions. They survived on pawpaws and nuts (from Peterson’s PawPaws).

Unfortunately for us, the pawpaws were not ripe when we stumbled upon them. We moved on up the creek bed. Eventually, we found a trickle of running water. The highest diversity in the Devil’s Eyebrow is reported to be in the glades. In the interest of avoiding ticks and chiggers, it was decided that exploration of the glades was for a future trip. We headed back to the boats.

It is 1,800 paddle strokes from the Devil’s Eyebrow back to Lost Bridge. It was hot. There was traffic on the lake now. A guy came by on a hydrofoil water ski. That was kind of cool. It was still hot. I dipped my hat in the lake. The cool water dribbled down my neck. Thirty minutes later I repeated the hat dip. Another 45 minutes of paddling and the trip came to an end. Seven friends loaded their boats. We headed home thinking of the next trip.

2013 ANNUAL AWF BANQUET

Photos by Ethan Nahté

BEARCAT HOLLOW WORKDAY

Photos by Bob Shewmake, Wayne Shewmake & Ethan Nahté

14 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013

Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks

by Georgia Ross

Nestled between Lake Fayetteville and Highway 265, the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (BGO) is a beautiful spot to spend an hour or so enjoying the location’s nine beautiful themed gardens and butterfly house. For the casual visitor that is ample reason for the garden’s existence, but BGO serves a greater purpose beyond being a delightful spot to spend an afternoon or serving as the backdrop for many weddings each year. BGO staff and volunteers take their role as educators very seriously and they have the numbers to prove it.

The number of people visiting the garden has grown rapidly through the six years since its opening. Visitors of all ages from residents of assisted living facilities to the tiny tots at Little Sprouts come to the garden each year and leave with a bit more knowledge and appreciation of the natural world.

Total attendance in 2012 approached 80,000 including over 10,000 area students who attended organized programs.

Nature education at the garden starts early for hundreds of children who attend the weekly Little Sprout sessions, led

by Dani Dingman, Wednesday mornings in May through October. Over one hundred pre-school children, including some who haven’t reached their first birthday, gather for fun and games all designed to heighten the little ones’ excitement and curiosity about the natural world of plants, animals and insects. A typical session might

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find the children listening to popular stories such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and then creating crafts which illustrate the life cycle of butterflies. Little Sprouts has proven so popular that a second session had to be added with one group coming at 9:30 and a second at 10:15.When a session ends, the children and their parents may stay longer just to run, play and continue exploring the wonders to be found on the grounds and in the butterfly house.

Approximately 10,000 children from area elementary and middle schools along with some home schoolers spend one or more days at BGO on organized school trips.

From Butterfly Days in the fall to Earth Day in the spring, the BGO campus is frequently abuzz with the chatter and exclamations of delight coming from hundreds of students attending one of BGO’s educational events.

For four days each September that chatter comes from the 1600 third graders from Fayetteville and other area schools attending Butterfly Days when the garden is laid out in eight stations, each presenting different aspects in the life of a butterfly from egg to adult. The lessons include the importance of butterflies to plant life, butterfly survival techniques, the differences between butterflies and moths and monarch migration.

While playing games such as Butterfly Bingo and Caterpillar Camouflage and creating small crafts projects all pertaining to butterflies and ecology, the students rotate to the different stations and finally move to the BGO Butterfly House where they can see

these beautiful insects up close and some lucky students may even have a butterfly perch on their heads of shoulders.

A second large endeavor occurs over a period of months as hundreds of fifth grade students from Springdale schools travel to BGO for a day of learning about the importance of watersheds and other ecological concerns. They hear a brief lecture, spend time using microscopes to compare plant and animal cells and to study plankton, tour the gardens, and hike to the edge of Lake Fayetteville to gather water samples and see what they can scoop up from the lake water. Their excitement soars when the catch includes crawfish, small minnows or baby frogs. All students take notes which will be used for writing assignments when they return to their schools. The lessons are all geared to curriculum requirements and are much enhanced by having the students outside gaining hands-on experience with the natural world.

Buy one for yourself or buy one as a gift for the   

Only $10 each plus S/H 2 for $15 Bulk Discounts for school & other non-profits (contact for details) Arkansas Wildlife Federation P.O. Box 56380 Little Rock, AR 72215 501-888-4770 or arkwf@sbcglobal.net

In the spring, Earth Day is an anticipated event that brings about 1600 children to BGO. Led by Abby Farrell and other teachers from Shaw Elementary School, the focus of the day is again on ecology and how all people, even youngsters, can be involved in taking care of our world. Area schools are invited to attend two hour sessions either in the morning or afternoon. As with other BGO student events, the activities at Earth Day are all geared to Common Core Science standards. Community partners in this event are all actively involved in sustainability and green practices.

The benefit from this day continues as attending teachers are given gift bags stuffed with materials to use in their classrooms.

Throughout the school year, individual school classes, including home schoolers, come to BGO for field trips led by their own teachers and a BGO volunteer. These are fairly free style outings to acquaint the students with the gardens and to give them

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October- 15 some outside time in a beautiful location with the hope that the day enhances their appreciation for nature and maybe they will learn to take time to just revel in the joy of being outdoors. In the Sensory Garden, students may be encouraged to touch and smell plants while listening for the songs of birds and chirps and hums of insects heard above the almost ever present rustle of leaves and grasses. Through these and other exercises students become aware of the variety of plant life and learn to listen to and really see their surroundings. In the Butterfly House they may look for pinpoint sized butterfly eggs, newly hatched tiny caterpillars, and hidden chrysalides while developing an understanding of the need for host and nectar plants required for butterflies’ survival. Additionally, time in the Japanese Garden provides an opportunity for students to learn how another culture values beauty and serenity achieved through gardens.

Education at BGO doesn’t stop with the end of the school year as summer school programs bring students for field trips throughout the season. Additionally, Explore@BGO, a summer day camp led by Education Coordinator Judy Smith brings another 20 to 30 children ages six through ten to the Garden on eight successive Tuesday mornings. With each week focusing on a different theme, campers are introduced to gardening, garden art, wildlife, conservation and ecology. Community organizations and individuals are invited to share their expertise with campers.

In 2013, campers experienced a bird walk with binoculars, made pollinator art from recycled materials, painted and planted herb pots and came face to face with two very friendly(and nonvenomous) snakes.

The camp gives Garden volunteers an opportunity to work with children one and

one sharing a contagious love of nature.

Education at BGO is not limited to school age people as the garden hosts numerous workshops that appeal to adults throughout the year. Whether your passion is building birdhouses, bird watching, raising butterflies, arranging flowers, or becoming more successful in your gardens, BGO likely has a workshop to fit your needs. These are just a few of the varied workshops and classes offered throughout the year by BGO staff, other paid professionals, and volunteers.

Whatever the season of the year, the devoted staff and host of volunteers at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks are heavily involved with educational activity.

Staff and volunteers see value in encouraging children to disconnect from electronic devices and leading them to connect with nature in ways that excite and inform. The staff and volunteers believe that through knowledge comes understanding and concern which, in turn, lead to action and livelong involvement. This belief spurs BGO folks to dedicate hours each year to providing educational programs for all ages. To learn how you can be a part of the excitement and growth at BGO visit the web site Bgozarks.org. or call 479-750-2620.

About the author: Georgia Ross and her husband Bill moved to Fayetteville in 2010 to be near their two sons. They had both taught at Wynne High School before retiring. Georgia quickly became involved in the Botanical Garden even choosing a lot near the garden to build their new home. Since relocating, Georgia has volunteered at the garden regularly and is a certified butterfly mentor.

She also is a gallery guide at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.

Watching Birds Released

by Ethan Nahté

Lucien Gillham, Sr. a longtime member of AWF and a former secretary for the organization, has been busy with his brother Richard in putting together a book collecting their mother’s articles on birdwatching.

The brothers are the sons of longtime AWF members, the late Ralph and Martha Gillham. In addition, Joanna Gray Lange and Bob Gray, the family of Joe Gray, participated in the book’s production. Joe Gray is the illustrator of Martha’s work.

The book has been a lengthy work-in-progress but the final result, Watching Birds, is well worth the effort that the two families put into the final product. The 200+ page book, which can be purchased in hard or soft cover formats, is a wonderful collection of articles.

According to the introduction, Watching Birds is a compilation of bird stories written by Martha Ramseur Gillham. They were first published in AWF’s Arkansas Out-of-Doors from 19721985. She was a longtime member of AWF. J.R. Gray, was also a member of AWF and a close friend of the Gillham family. He was a commercial and wildlife artist as well as a political cartoonist. He and the Gillhams lived in Dardanelle, Arkansas located in Yell County.

The book has been assembled and published at the insistence and funding of Ralph Gillham. All proceeds from sales will go to the Yell County Wildlife Federation, which they were also members of for many years.

The articles are not written in an encyclo-

pedic fashion, although the information Gillham provides is informative. She writes them from a personal point-of-view, making for an easy and fun read. Granted, she mentions names and places that may not mean much to someone who wasn’t part of AWF, YCWF, or from the River Valley area, but her insight and viewpoints on a wide variety of birds and other nature is filled with valuable information. The articles, and there are many, range from songbirds to birds of prey. Each article is accompanied by at least one, if not two or three, black and white pen and ink drawings by Gray.

If you are interested in purchasing a copy, the books can be found at AuthorHouse. com. The softcover and e-book (Kindle or Nook) can also be found on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. Lucien and Richard also have copies available if you happen to know either of them and would like to purchase a personalized copy.

16 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013

Don’t Plant Fescue

by David Long Private Lands Supervisor, AGFC Every year about this time, hunters and private landowners begin planting fall & winter food plots for wildlife. Many hunters and landowners have the idea that “tall fescue” is good to plant as a coolseason forage for deer and other wildlife. This is far from the truth. Fescue is by far, the worst planting to improve wildlife habitat; it is toxic to many species of wildlife, cattle and other livestock. Because of the toxicity of the plant, most wildlife simply avoids eating it and finds no protective cover from its lack of vertical structure. Much of the decline in our quail population can be attributed to the planting of fescue. We must squelch this belief among hunters and land managers that fescue is good to plant for wildlife.

Biologists all over the southeast U.S. have long agreed fescue is a poor wildlife cover and food source. In fact, nearly all stands of fescue are infected with an endophytic fungus that lives within the plant that produces chemicals causing the fescue to have toxic qualities. The alkaloids are found throughout the plant, but are especially concentrated in the seeds, and leaves. The irony of this situation is the chemicals act as a feeding deterrent causing animals not to eat the fescue, except as a last resource.

As a result, the plant ensures a place for itself and out-competes other grasses and forbs resulting in further degradation of the habitat for wildlife.

Practically all tall fescue seed sold has the fungus in the seed. Fescue seed that has been genetically modified to reduce the toxicity has been developed for use by livestock producers. However, fescues, no matter the type or variety are poor choices for improving wildlife habitat.

Studies have proven the negative effects of infected fescue diets on a wide range of animals.

Cattle on a diet of infected fescue causes fescue toxicosis or summer syndrome. Effects include excessive body temperatures, elevated respiratory rates, loss of appetites, body weight losses, lowered egg production rates, lowered fertility rates, and adsorption of fetuses. Dairy cows often show sharp depressions in milk production.

Horses are affected too. Horse producers found that mares grazing tall fescue often abort, have foaling problems, give birth to weak foals and produce little or no milk. A study as far back as 1996 at Auburn University observed and documented problems in reproduction among mares. Twenty-two pregnant

thoroughbred, quarter-horse, Arabian and Morgan mares were fed either infected or non-infected tallfescue pasture grass and hay during gestation, foaling and the immediate post-partum period. All but one of the mares eating the infected fescue had foaling problems, only three of 11 foals were born alive and only seven of the mares survived. In addition, only one foal from this group survived beyond the first week. The 11 mares eating endophyte-free fescue had normal pregnancies and all mares and all foals survived. This experiment adds to the growing evidence that endophyte infected fescue causes major problems for livestock.

Studies likewise have shown nearly identical effects in rabbits to include lowered litter sizes and stunted and slow development of the young that were born.

Economically speaking, the cost to the livestock industry has been conservatively estimated between $500 million and $1 billion annually in lost production.

We have to do a better job of educating hunters, hunting club members, and private landowners regarding what constitutes the development of good wildlife habitat and what is best to plant. There are many alternatives that provide excellent forage, protect the soil, and result in premium habitat for wildlife.

Fall is a great time to treat existing stands of fescue. Chemical of choice is glyphosate (roundup or a generic). Mix chemical according to label instructions. Treatment this time of year works well since plants are naturally moving energy into the roots and takes the herbicide to them and kills the plants. Treatment starting around the end of October on a day above 60 degrees generally provides a good kill. One spray may not be enough so a second spraying may be required if fescue shows up during the spring green-up. Treat with glyphosate again according to label instructions. The acres treated can be managed as wildlife habitat by prescribed burning, block disking, or direct wildlife beneficial plantings or allow native plants to provide habitat.

The bottom-line, we need everybody, hunters, bird watchers, wildlife enthusiasts, nature lovers, and the general public to help spread the word about the effects of this toxic plant to wildlife and how it provide very poor vertical structure as wildlife cover. Remember: Don’t plant fescue!

For more information on improving your land for wildlife and how to manage your fescue fields once killed, contact anAGFC Private Lands Biologist at: Fort Smith-877-478-1043, Harrison-870-741-8600-extension 114, Hope-877-777-5580, Calico Rock877-297-4331, Little Rock-877-470-3650, Brinkley-877-734-4581, Jonesboro-877-972-5438, and Monticello-877-367-3559. To see which PLB covers your county, go to: www.agfc.com/habitat and find & click on the 2013 Private Lands Map.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER UPCOMING EVENTS LAKE CONWAY LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT URBAN WATERSHED PLAN Thursday, November 7th; 6:00 – 8:00 pm US Army Reserve Training Center 1350 Thomas G Wilson Drive Conway, Arkansas 72032

You are invited to the second meeting for the Lake Conway Low Impact Development (LID) Urban Watershed Plan.

The University of Arkansas has partnered with Metroplan, the designated metropolitan regional planning agency for central Arkansas, to launch the Lake Conway Low Impact Development Urban Watershed Plan. The goal of the study is to initiate the development of a Nine Element EPA Watershed Management Plan (WMP) and to develop and implement components of a Low Impact Development (LID) Urban Watershed Plan that features methods and technologies for restoring water quality impacted by urban sediment and pollutant loading in Lake Conway, and for protecting critical ecological services in urbanizing areas. The overall goal of the plan is to decrease lake sedimentation and pollutant/nutrient loadings in feeder streams.

For questions or comments, contact Metroplan Public Outreach Coordinator, Judy Watts: 501-372-3300 or jwatts@metroplan.org.

Your RSVP is appreciated. Agenda and more details coming soon.

5TH AWF ANNUAL MEETING

Saturday, December 7, 2013; 10:00 AM – 2: 00 PM Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center 602 President Clinton Ave Little Rock, AR 72201 AWF’s quarterly meeting will be held in the classroom of the Central Arkansas Nature Center. Items on the agenda will include AWF’s strategic planning report & summary, Wildlife of Arkansas 2014 art contest, 2014 Banquet, and more.

If you have an item that you would like to have placed on the Agenda please contact the AWF office by November 22, 2013.

A working lunch will be served. Meeting open to the public. Please R.S.V.P. so we can provide enough food and drinks.

WINTER 2013- DUCK HUNT & BANQUET

Friday - Sunday, December 6, 7& 8th -2013 Hunt HQ - Pocahontas, AR

In conjunction with the Wounded Warrior Project, the Northeast Arkansas Affiliate will host, partnered with American Legion Post #6- Randolph County, Arkansas Friday: Turkey Shoot & AGFC Safety Meeting/Guide Meeting @ Black River Police Academy - Pocahontas, AR...followed by Friday evening meal & activity with local VFW groups Saturday activities: Duck Hunt Seminars ‘with the pros’ after lunch @ Hunt HQ; Track Chair Demos Saturday night: “Pearl Harbor Tribute - December 7th, 1941” program at Banquet @ 6:00PM- Black River Technical College - Pocahontas, AR; Silent & Live Auction; Music Entertainment; Celebrity Guest; Key-note Speaker Dr. Gary Buxton; Other speakers -Wounded Warrior National Staff Members; AWF Board Member; WWII Veterans For info to hunt or volunteer contact John Phillips: jlphil@sbcglobal.net or (870)926-3619 OR the Randolph County Veterans service Office- Mike Richardson, Veteran Officer @ veterans@suddenlinkmail.com or (870)892-3143

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October- 17

AWF Helps Support Cure for the Race

Arkansas Wildlife Federation P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215

by Al Wolff

When thinking of ways to market one’s organization, company or product, it’s very rare that a marketing team or publicist would say, “Let’s put our name on and image on porta-potties.” But when there are dozens, if not hundreds, of port-a-potties along a race route for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, a publicist might not think that’s a bad idea.

In this instance, AWF treasurer Gary Bush threw the idea at executive director Ethan Nahté to see what would stick against the wall…or walls as the case turned out to be.

Nahté collected a group of art prints specific to AWF, AWF labels, brochures and signs, handing them all over to Cara Lank, a co-worker of Bush. Lank had some weather to deal with as the materials had to be placed on the walls of the port-a-potty AWF sponsored the evening before the 5k race. Mother Nature wasn’t playing very nice, unleashing storms Friday afternoon and evening, but Lank managed to get the materials up before the event that took place October 19th across portions of Little Rock and North Little Rock. At the very least the participants and the crowd of people cheering them on would have some beautiful images of songbirds, raccoons, otters and elk to view as they made their way to the bathroom.

This year it was estimated that there were 38,000 women, men, and children participating. Fortunately the storms had moved eastward out of central Arkansas very early that morning. As long as there was no lightning, the odds are that the majority of the participants would’ve shown up at any rate to take part in the cause. It’s probably impossible to find someone who hasn’t been affected either personally, or had at least one friend or family member who they know of that has battled breast cancer. The streets of Arkansas’s twin cities were awash in a flood

Telephone: (501) 888-4770

“Your voice for hunting, fishing and conservation since 1936”

Arkansas Out-Of-Doors Advertising Agreement

of pink as people came out to either be a part of this year’s race or to show their support.

Since its inception in 1983, the Komen Race for the Cure series has grown from one local Race with 800 participants to a global series of more than 120 Races with more than 1 million people expected to participate in 2013. 75 percent of the funds raised from the Arkansas Race remain here in Arkansas to provide breast health research, diagnostics, screening, treatment, services and education for uninsured or underinsured women. The remaining 25 percent goes to fund national research to discover the causes of breast cancer and, ultimately, its cures. In Arkansas, there are 25 counties (1 out of every 3) that have no fixed mammography services.

These are the women who are least likely to get a mammogram and it is the hardest for them. The need in our state is great. Your donation provides women and men (Yes, men get breast cancer as well. Just ask survivor Peter Criss, founding member/drummer for KISS) in Arkansas with services that have literally saved lives.

You don’t have to wait until the annual race to donate. For more information visit http://www.komenarkansas.org/

Arkansas Out-Of-Doors is the official publication of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation established in 1936, a non-profit, hunting, fishing, and conservation organization dedicated to promoting the wise stewardship of our natural resources. It is a newsprint tabloid publication that is published 6 times per year for the following issues: Jan.-Feb., March-April, May-June, July-Aug., Sept.-Oct., Nov.-Dec. The publication contains information about hunting, fishing and other outdoororiented activities. It also contains articles about conservation. It is mailed near the end of the first month of each issue date to approximately 4500 AWF members and it has an estimated readership of 13,500 to 17,500 people each issue. Those who read this publication enjoy the great outdoor, and they are interested in conservation.

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18 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013

Flittering Thoughts on Bats

By Ethan Nahté Bats – those furry mammals that fly through the night and strike fear into the hearts of most people, primarily thanks to their portrayal in film and literature. I love a good vampire book or movie, and Bram Stoker’s inclusion of Dracula turning into a vampire bat (which hails from Mexico to South America, not Europe) did set a scary tone for his book. Unfortunately it set a scary precedent for bats. With Halloween just around the corner it is probable that the first non-fantastic creature (i.e. werewolf, ghost, vampire, Frankenstein’s monster) that pops into mind is a bat. It is why Bruce Wayne chose Batman to instill fear into the criminal element of Gotham City.

Granted, people feared bats before the 1897 release of Dracula. People generally fear that which they do not understand. A creature that flies at night; lives secluded in trees, dark caves, and other places such as abandoned buildings or in the quiet of an attic; flies in an erratic manner causing people to believe that the animal will swoop down into one’s hair; mistakenly considered to be related to mice, in part possibly due to the German word for bat or the operetta Die Fledermaus (a.k.a.

The Bat) by Strauss, and a flying mouse at that; and the fact that up close some people just see the sharp teeth and scrunched up nose and immediately consider them a terror since they aren’t cute like a koala bear, which is a cute animal with sharp claws, sharp teeth and can be quite vicious if provoked.

Bats are the only flying mammal. Flying squirrels actually glide so they do not qualify as a flying mammal. Bats also see better in the dark than people and can see color. Granted, a lot of them rely on echolocation and, being nocturnal creatures, they aren’t fond of flying in bright sunlight which just makes sense. But all of these factors add up to making them a mysterious creature that instills fear.

When I produced and directed a live animal TV program in the Dallas-Fort Worth area back in the ‘90s I would have several guests on the show including Amanda Lollar, who made two or three appearances.

When Lollar came out with her first book The Bat in My Pocket she was already saving and rehabilitating bats in Mineral Wells, Texas. She eventually changed her antique

store she owned, located amongst the other old buildings in downtown Mineral Wells, into what became Bat World Sanctuary in 1994. She would care day and night for the injured or sick bats found by her and the area residents, primarily Mexican freetailed bats. She would bring these little bats onto the set of Pet Talk and the majority of my crew, even the men, would freak out a little and not want to get close. As the show progressed through its thirty minute slot and Lollar spoke with the host, she would also feed the bats meal worms as she explained how intelligent, social, and clean bats are.

By the time the audience and the crew had learned about the social structure and interesting lives of bats I would have a camera zoom in and get a shot of Lollar feeding the bat a treat for being good, generally a little bit of yogurt. It was like a “Got Milk” commercial as viewers saw this little puckered up black face happily slurping up the creamy delight, only to quickly use its fingers (yes, the Order of Chiroptera means “hand-wing”) to wipe the yogurt from its mouth and clean itself. You couldn’t beat my TV crew away with a nail-studded club after we were off the air. Everyone wanted to hold, pet or feed the bats.

Of the 1100+ species of bats, there are only three species of vampire bats (Desmodontinae), and they are small creatures. They generally feed on sleeping hogs and cattle. They do not drink enough blood to kill the animal and they rarely have rabies, less than 0.5% of 1% are found to have rabies.

Other bats include the fruit and nectar bats, which there are several families and at least 186 species, range from South America to Africa and Europe. They are in North America, but once again in the forests and jungles of Mexico and extending throughout Central America. These bats and flying foxes, also referred to as megabats or old world bats, are extremely important to our natural resources and our economy. According to the Bat World Sanctuary site, “Fruit and nectar bats bring us approximately 450 commercial products and over 80 different medicines through seed dispersal and pollination. Up to 98% of all rainforest regrowth comes from seeds that have been spread by fruit bats.”

Then there are the insectivorous bats, the bats from around the world that feed on mil-

lions of insects. They are known as microbats and make up approximately 70% of the bats worldwide. They are also the primary consumers of insects. They are small, nowhere near as large as the fruit and nectar bats, but some of the larger species of the microbats will eat frogs, lizards, small birds or fish. With the exception of the Egyptian fruit bats, the microbats are the only ones that use echolocation.

Like the fruit bats, they are comprised of several families. The myth that bats fly into people’s hair is a falsehood. The bats use echolocation (sonar) while flying at amazing speeds, catching food. Odds are if they were near a person where they could be seen it was at night near a light source.

Bugs like the light and bats hunt where the bugs are, so the bat was probably not trying to fly into someone’s hair but trying to eat the mosquito preparing to make the person into their personal buffet. A single bat can eat 600-1000 insects in an hour. A small colony can eat the equivalent of a 48-foot tractor-trailer’s worth of insects per night, a good deal more than birds will eat. Bats not only eat mosquitos but many other insects that destroy our crops. So the megabats help pollinate our food source and the microbats help protect the crops.

Bats around the world are declining in number due to habitat decimation, people killing them because they don’t understand bats, and diseases such as White Nose Syndrome (see Rogalla article on page 19).

The bat is one of the slowest reproducing mammals in the world, only having one to two pups per year. Although most tend to live to be 25-40 years old, that is changing in modern times.

If the bat population declines or ceases to exist, not only will it change the ecology of caves and forests, but it will change our world. In the case of microbats, think about

the fact that if the insect population is allowed to not only survive but increase exponentially. This will allow crops to either be destroyed on a more regular basis or make mankind resort to using even more chemicals on our crops to help protect them, which probably would result in causing more health issues for people and the rest of the animal world. DDT anyone? Not to mention that the costs of food will go up even higher if the food source is depleted and if it takes more chemicals and more work to try and maintain a healthy crop. Having milder and shorter winters such as we’ve been having will also be a factor in the increase of insects.

In the instance of disease, insects spread many diseases, but let’s just look at mosquitos as a prime example. If mosquitos are not kept in check that could result in the rise of West Nile Virus (WNV) in birds, which can easily be passed along to humans. According to the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), Arkansas had 64 cases of WNV in 2012, resulting in at least seven deaths. The state has had at least one other death from the six cases in 2013. That number could increase at an alarming rate, causing more illness and deaths around the globe.

When people make a flippant comment about bats and the threat to them, they really don’t seem to be looking at the big picture.

The part that bats play in the cycle of life is extremely beneficial. Removing them from the cycle can and will cause quite an impact on the environment, the animal kingdom, and human life.

Although bats, like many other mammals can carry rabies, there are more cases of rabid skunks being found in the state than bats.

According to the ADH, only 17 bat related rabies cases resulted in deaths from 1997-2006 across the entire United States. 17 deaths over nine years in a population of 300 million

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October- 19 people; more children die worldwide from fatal falls (127 children under the age of 19 in 2010) than die from rabid bats.

The majority of people who have been bitten by bats are generally bitten while handling a bat that they have found on the ground or in their natural environment while resting. It’s best not to handle the bat, but if you must handle a sick or injured bat to try and safely secure it so you can get it to a rehabilitator then use a thick, heavy glove, such as a welding or work glove. Gently pick the bat up and place it in a tightly secured box/container with holes in it. They will be scared and trying to escape, so of course they may try to bite or scratch. For that matter if they try to fly off they will try to climb up from the palm of your hand so they can spread their wings and lift off. They may not mean to scratch you while doing so, but they have to climb and to do that they use the tips of their sharp fingers.

Arkansas has 16 species of bats, three of which are federally endangered or threatened: the gray bat, Ozark big-eared bat, and the Indiana bat. That number may also rise depending upon the outcome of the WNS in northwest Arkansas where these bats tend to live. Other bats live in that region as well and could become threatened, endangered or extinct. Since the finding of WNS in New York back in 2006, the fungus has killed nearly 6 million bats. Let’s do some quick math and give the time range a total of eight hours for one night – 6 million dead bats times 1,000 possible eaten insects per hour equals 60 million insects at eight hours totals 48 billion insects survive one night. Now figure out the number of days from spring to fall and multiply. Hopefully you can see where this is going in regards to the cycle I mentioned earlier.

The fungus has also spread into Canada across five provinces but hasn’t quite made its way to British Columbia, which is all the way on the west coast and opposite New York on the east coast. Still, British Columbia is having issues. A recent press release mentioned that at least half of their 16 species are at risk. With the assistance of a Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI®) conservation grant, the Nature Conservancy of Canada is currently working to educate the public on the importance of bats, as well as document the locations and health of bat habitat, which will in turn provide better knowledge to conservationists tasked with protecting this sensitive species.

The project will receive a total of $50,000 through the SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program over two years. In addition to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, partners include Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Columbia Basin, the British Columbia Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and BC Timber Sales, and SFI-certified International Forest Products Ltd. In North America, the US Fish & Wildlife Service has given grants totaling nearly one million dollars to 28 states, including Arkansas, to help study and fight the disease. So far, in addition to the five Canadian provinces, 22 states have confirmed WNS which is believed to be spread from cave to cave not only by bats, but by humans. This is why most public caves and mines have been closed to the public. Some privately owned caves have closed, but many remain open, increasing the risk of spreading the fungus. If you visit Bat Conservation International (BCI) at Batcon. org and click on the WNS link you can find up-to-date press releases and a map showing the spread of WNS. BCI, based in Austin, Texas, is probably the most advanced authority in the world in regards to bats.

I used to spelunk and have enjoyed watching many bats fly and roost, leaving them be and trying my best to never disturb them. I have helped with bat rehabilitation for more than 20 years. Bats are fascinating creatures and shouldn’t be feared any more than any other wild animal. By the same token, they should be treated with the same respect and regard you would give any other wild animal. They aren’t pets but they aren’t a menace. They are an important part of our ecosystem and they need our help.

If you find a bat please visit Bat World Sanctuary’s site at batworld.org. Click on “Local Rescue” and input your zip code and how many miles away you want to search for a rehabilitator. Hopefully you will find one not too far away, although there aren’t many of them. There is also information on their site, as well as on the sites for BCI, the USFS, USFWS, ADH and AGFC. The sites have information about handling bats, who to contact if you find a sick or injured bat, who to contact if you have bats in your building, how to attract bats or build bat houses, and other important information. Once you get to know bats, odds are your opinion of them will change for the better.

White Nose Syndrome and Bats in AR

by Melissa Rogalla

On July 29, 2013, the event that every naturalist was dreading finally occurred; evidence of the fungus that is responsible for incomprehensible numbers of bat deaths was found in the Natural State. The fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans was detected in small amounts in two separate caves, one in Devil’s Den State Park in Washington County and one on private land in Baxter County.

Swabs from both the cave walls and from some of the resident bats of the cave were all shown to have levels of the fungus.

White Nose Syndrome was first observed in a cave in Schoharie County in New York in February of 2006. Since its discovery, it has rapidly spread, greatly impacting the hibernating bat populations in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, Georgia, South Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, and provinces in Canada. This year small levels were also detected in Minnesota.

Pseudogymnoascus destructans is well adapted to grow in low temperatures, generally around 4 to 15oC and is well adapted to attack hibernating bats. When a bat becomes infected, White Nose Syndrome will cause the bats to burn brown fat quickly.

This can cause extreme emaciation when bats come out of hibernation. Bats that are infected with Pseudogymnoascus destructans may exhibit a white muzzle or white on the wing membranes, but this is not always a reliable sign of infection. Infected bats will also display abnormal behaviors such as moving to the entrance of the hibernacula and flying around during the winter. Pseudogymnoascus destructans is primarily spread by bat-to-bat contact. Generally, bats will huddle together during hibernation to keep warm. The spores have not been shown to infect bats through contact in the air.

The role of humans facilitating the spread of the disease is debatable, but presence of Pseudogymnoascus destructans fungal spores has been found in soil samples taken at the mouths of caves. This suggests that humans can and may have been spreading spores unknowingly to other caves.

Although not directly proven, White Nose Syndrome may affect the economy, especially farming. Bats are primarily responsible for consuming insects, which can save up to 50 billion dollars annually. The rippling consequences of bat decline could drive up food costs, cause farmers to employ more toxic pest control, etc. Bats are also a very important factor in the highly fragile cave ecosystem.

Large roosts of bats provide primary resources for all other organisms in the caves. With large roosts of bats being heavily impacted by White Nose Syndrome the unique cave ecosystem could be gone forever.

Arkansans love their Natural State, and all the wildlife that reside in our natural places. The main thing that can be done to prevent further spread of the fungus in Arkansas is not to explore caves. Many caves in State and National parks have been closed as a preventative measure to halt the rapid spread, but some caves on private land are still open to the public. When exploring a cave make sure to properly decontaminate your clothing, footwear, and any equipment to kill any spores that may be present. Decontamination protocols can be found at the link whitenosesyndrome.org/topics/decontamination. The public can also help by building bat houses or bat boxes on their property, which provides alternative hibernacula for bats.

If you notice any bats displaying any symptoms or any abnormal behaviors, please contact Blake Sasse with the Arkansas Game and Fish at 877-470-3650 or the Arkansas Wildlife Federation.

20 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013

Bacon Gone Bad Razorback, tusker, hog or boar – call them what you want, pigs are a plague on Arkansas’s wildlife habitat.

Wild hogs aren’t native to North America, they were brought here by European explorers and settlers centuries ago. Instead of penning their pigs, farmers let them roam the woods and fend for themselves until it was time for slaughter, and then they would trap them or hunt them with dogs. Pigs that evaded capture became the base for today’s problematic swine population.

In the 1900s, hunters reading of exotic Eurasian boar hunts in Russia began importing these wild-eyed cousins of the domestic pig to the United States, adding some non-domesticated traits to the gene pool. Although some Russian boars can be found in wild populations, most of our wild hogs originate from escaped livestock.

spect for their sheer toughness.

And they will eat practically anything, including plants, insects, the eggs and young of ground-nesting birds and reptiles. Even the occasional fawn or baby rabbit is on the menu of larger boars and sows.

Fairhead says these problems are only the tip of the iceberg.

“Feral hogs carry at least 45 diseases and parasites that can infect humans and livestock,” Fairhead said. “Brucellosis and Swine Herpes Virus are just a few of the threats they carry. They have been cited as the likely cause of the 2006 E. coli outbreak and spinach recall in California.”

AGFC Biologist David Goad says with all these issues, feral hogs are a threat The Natural State can’t afford.

“There’s no room for hogs in Arkansas,” said Goad. “They’re invasive, and we’re doing our dead level best to eliminate them and find ways to help landowners do the same.”

EXPLODING PORK According to A Landowner’s Guide for Wild Pig Management produced by Mississippi State University Extension Service, the same traits that made hogs ideal livestock are a bane for wildlife habitat.

They’re prolific. Sows can have two litters per year, with about six piglets in each litter, and young females can begin adding to the population at only six months.

“About 70 percent of a population of hogs needs to be killed every year just to keep the population stable,” said AGFC biologist J.P. Fairhead.

Few natural predators pose a serious threat to hogs. The occasional piglet may be killed by a coyote or bobcat, but the sow will fend off many predators, and once a pig is about 40 pounds, they’re too much for the average predator to handle.

Hogs also are extremely adaptable.

They’re found in every terrain from arid deserts to stagnant swamps. They thrive in hot, humid zones near the equator, and can survive the most brutal of Russian winters.

If they weren’t so damaging to the environment, hogs would be an animal to re-

MANMADE MESS As with many nuisance wildlife issues, hogs are a problem men have brought upon themselves. Hogs have been transported and released for hunting in at least 45 states. From those illegal stockings, and the rise in popularity of sport hunting feral swine have exploded. According to the Mississippi State Extension Service video “A Pickup Load of Pigs: The Feral Swine Pandemic,” Texas alone holds as many as 2 million feral hogs.

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, hogs are responsible for $1.5 billion in damages annually and $300 million each year to agriculture alone. This year’s tragic tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma were estimated at $2 billion in damages.

Even when hog hunters are given access to land to remove hogs, they sometimes will simply catch them and relocate them to new areas. The hogs left behind rebuild in numbers, and the relocated pigs create a new population, effectively doubling the issue in short order.

By Randy Zellers

“The funny thing is that nobody I’ve talked to, even high-fence operators, wants feral hogs on their own property,” said Fairhead.

“But public property has become a dumping ground for these hogs.”

REMOVING THE MENACE Much of the issue with enforcing feral hog regulations stems from their origin as livestock. Domestic swine are regulated by the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission.

Once they’ve gone feral, they fall into a bit of a gray area. They’re not livestock. They’re not wild game. They’re just there, and growing.

On private land, people can kill hogs day or night, by any means, and without a hunting license, as long as they have not had their hunting rights revoked.

On WMA’s, a valid hunting license is required and hogs may be taken during any open season with any method legal for that season.

“But hunting isn’t enough,” said Goad. “If hunting by itself were effective, we wouldn’t have a feral hog problem.”

Fairhead says the AGFC is stepping up efforts and looking at new ways to battle the swine.

“The AGFC is in the process of evaluating our feral hog eradication efforts statewide,” said Fairhead. “These efforts are a coordinated, controlled and planned series of techniques and strategies that allow the AGFC and our partners to adapt to changing situations. Our efforts, have and always will, primarily focus on trapping; but we are developing, testing and implementing new trap designs, methods and technology to become even more efficient. Trapping is the most reliable and efficient means to remove multiple

hogs or an entire sounder group per trap site.”

Hunting can even be counterproductive.

“Hunting generally only removes a very small percentage of a sounder,” said Fairhead. “It also can cause them to relocate or become more nocturnal or wary to trapping attempts. In one case, hunting and associated disturbances continually caused one sounder of 23 hogs to elude capture for almost three months. Finally, when all season were closed, the sounder was removed in 10 days.”

HOG LAWS During the 89th General Assembly in February 2013, Arkansas Representative Walls McCrary from Lonoke spearheaded an effort to quell illegal hog dumping and transport. With full support from the AGFC and ALPC, they enacted Bill 1478, which rewrote the state’s regulations on feral hogs and hog transport.

According to Arkansas Code 2-38-501, any person who releases or attempts to release a live hog on private or public land can be convicted of a felony, fined $1,000 to $5,000 per hog and sentenced to up to 30 days in jail.

It also is illegal to transport a live hog that has not been properly tagged for transport to a terminal facility that is recognized by the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission.

A few private hog-hunting operations that were established before the act have been grandfathered into the law. They will be allowed to operate under Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission guidelines.

“This new law is a step in the right direction to prevent people from illegally dumping hogs and start taking the problem seriously,” said Goad. “We’re ramping up our removal efforts, but we’re going to need everyone’s help to dig out of this before it’s too late.”

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October- 21

Defying drought: reducing the hot spots on your landscape

by Mel. White

The stumps of the oldest bald cypress trees tell part of the story of the rains, from seasons of flood to long hard droughts in Arkansas. But as with all climate cycles, the end result begins somewhere else -- in this case in the cooling of water in the Pacific as the Atlantic heated up. Known as “La Nina”, this cycle changes the flow of the high altitude winds known as the “jet stream”, causing dry and warm weather across the southern United States and dumping rains on Malaysia, New Zealand, and areas around Venezuela. In Arkansas it brings a dry spring and hot summer. In 1930, following a devastating flood in 1927, La Nina swept in with deadly tornadoes. By summer, the rains were a mere memory as the hard times of the Dust Bowl began.

The same weather patterns that caused the drought of the 1930’s have hovered over Arkansas for the past two years, bringing

drought and crippling heat and water shortages for wildlife. What’s not so evident is how landscape contributes to this by causing temperatures to rise higher and faster, causing bodies of water to dry up more quickly because of something called the “heat island effect.” While most of the news stories have talked about heat islands and cities, certain types of landscapes can cause rapid water through a heat island effect. They all have one thing in common: they’re flat.

Flat surfaces absorb and reflect heat efficiently. You can see this effect for yourself if you walk outside with a digital thermometer in your hand. Check the temperature of the air, and then check the temperature under a tree. It’s no surprise to find that the tree shade is 5-10 degrees cooler than the temperature of the air. If you use the thermometer to take the temperature on the sidewalk or in the street, you will find that these areas are 10 to 50 degrees hotter than temperatures in the grassy areas.

Most of us know how miserably hot a parking lot can be in the middle of summer if you’re wandering around it for a while. This “parking lot” effect can happen around ponds and lakes and streams when evaporation causes stretches of mud flats to form along the shorelines. These mud flats turn into heat islands and start baking the air right next to the water. As the water gets hotter, evaporation increases, oxygen levels decrease, and fish and other living organisms die off.

These local heat islands also have a small but real effect on how fast water evaporates from the large reservoirs that supply us with our drinking water. Although most of us can’t affect state policies and regulations, there are a number of small and inexpensive strategies that can be done by homeowners and land managers to cool down these hot spots on their own property and decrease evaporation from ponds and other bodies of water.

A more permanent and more effective solution is to make sure there’s shade along the edges or shoreline of any body of water.

For large bodies of water such as a stock

pond, one temporary approach is to plow the edges of the pond so that the rough texture of the plowed land makes small pockets of shadow and decreases the heat a bit. However, this “quick fix” is limited in its effectiveness, and puts the pond at risk of having a lot of silt dumped into it the next time that the area gets a lot of rain.

A much better practice is using native shrubs and grasses or sedges along the edges of the water and in the water itself. These will hold down the soil, prevent erosion, cool the surrounding air by evaporation through their leaves, stabilize the aquatic environment, and block the heat island effect at the shoreline. When the rains return and the ponds and lakes fill again, some of the marginal vegetation will die and the decaying plant material will help support fish and other aquatic animals and will help keep the waters of Arkansas healthy.

The University of Arkansas’ Division of Agriculture webpage is a good place to start looking for a list of suitable plants to use when planting to reduce heat islands around water: http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/ landscaping/aquatic.htm

MEMORIAL GIFTS & HONORARIUM Remember Loved Ones "Forever"

You can remember a loved one with a memorial gift or honorarium to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation.

MEMORIAL GIFTS: If you would like to remember someone who loved wildlife, and the great outdoors of Arkansas, you can make a gift in that person’s name. What a beautiful tribute to their memory. Your memorial gift will continue the work of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and keep a loved one’s spirit alive through wildlife conservation.

HONORARIUM GIFT: Are you puzzled what to give friends or family members who “have everything?” Will an ordinary gift just not be enough? Then, consider making a donation to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation in their honor and acknowledge their special day, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or whatever they are celebrating.

Your gift is a special recognition to this individual or family in support of wildlife conservation programs. Gifts of $ 100 or more will receive wildlife print. All donations will receive a tax deductible receipt.

Make a Difference “Forever Memorials or Honorariums” Right Now by Completing this Information Below: Name of honoree_____________________________________________________________ Name of donor______________________________________________________________ Address____________________________________________________________________ Address___________________________________________________________________ City_________________________________State_____________ Zip Code______________ City________________________________ State_____________ Zip Code______________ Visa_________ Master Card____________ Credit Card #_____________________________________________________________ Expiration Date______________________________ Memorial______ Honorarium_____________ Amount of Gift $______________________ *The Arkansas Wildlife Federation can accept checks, and Master Charge or VISA Credit Cards *

Designation of Gift____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ We now accept MC/Visa/AMEX/Discover

Thank you for supporting wildlife conservation! Send to: Arkansas Wildlife Federation, P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215; or call 501-888-4770

22 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013

September/October 2013 POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to: P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215

ISSN0884-9145

Arkansas Wildlife Federation Officers and Board of Directors September 1st, 2013 to August 31st, 2014

Arkansas Out-of-Doors

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS WILDLIFE FEDERATION Arkansas Out-of-Doors is published 6 times per year by Arkansas Wildlife Federation, P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215. Third Class postage paid at Russellville, AR and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address change to Arkansas Outof-Doors, P.O. Box 56830, Little Rock, AR 72215, or call 501-888-4770.

This is the official publication of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. Printed matter includes hunting and fishing news, sporting information, articles on pertinent legislation, with special emphasis on environment and pollution problems. All Arkansas Wildlife Federation members are entitled to receive one copy of each issue of AOOD for one year.

Permission is granted to reprint any news article or item printed in Arkansas Out-Of-Doors with credit, please.

Executive Director �������������������������������������������� Ethan Nahté Editor in Chief ����������������������������������������� Wayne Shewmake Layout/Design ������������������������������������������Chris Zimmerman ZimCreative Views and opinions, unless specifically stated, do not necessarily represent the positions of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation.

Deadline Information: Unless other arrangements are made with the editor, copy for club news, features, columns and advertising must be in the Arkansas Wildlife Federation office by the close of business (noon) on the 20th of the month preceding publication. Thank you for your cooperation.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President: Wayne Shewmake, Dardanelle 1st Vice President: Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff 2nd Vice President: Odies Wilson, III, Little Rock Treasurer: Gary W. Bush, Marion Secretary: Clay Spike, Benton Executive Director: Ethan Nahté BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT LARGE Jim Wood, Dardanelle Dr. Charles Logan, Little Rock Bobby Hacker, Little Rock Mike Armstrong, Little Rock Lucien Gillham, Sherwood Jerry Crowe, Dardanelle Jared Schluterman, Russellville Lauren Ray, Springdale Wayne Shewmake, Dardanelle Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff Odies Wilson, III, Little Rock Clay Spikes, Benton Gary Bush, Marion REGIONAL DIRECTORS Director of Region 1 (Northeast Region): Pattie Duchene, Augusta Director of Region 1 Alternate (Northeast Region): Linda Cooper, Augusta Director of Region 2 (Southeast Region): Chrystola Tullos, Rison Director of Region 3 (Central Region): Lola Perritt, Mabelvale Director of Region 4 (Southwest Region): Vacant Director of Region 5 (Northwest Region): Mary Lou Lane, Dardanelle NWF Region: David Carruth, Clarendon NWF Special Projects: Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff NWF Regional Representative: Geralyn Hoey, Austin, TX PRESIDENT EMERITUS AND FIRST LADY EMERITUS: Bob and Rae Apple, Dardanelle

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION DELEGATES: Delegate - Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff Alt. Delegate - Jared Schluterman, Russellville

Westark Wildlife G. David Matlock, Fort Smith

ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT Ralph Oldegard, Mt. Home Larry Hedrick, Hot Springs Charles McLemore Jr., Bryant

Wounded Warrior Project - NE Arkansas Mike Richardson, Pocahontas, AR

AFFILIATE CLUBS: ATU Fisheries & Wildlife Society Jared Schluterman, President Russellville, AR Arkansas Chapter of American Fisheries Arkansas Trappers Association Gary Helms, President Texarkana, AR Cane Creek Hometowner’s Assoc.

Jessica Thompson, Sec./Treasurer – Scranton, AR Creative Ideas President: Sharon Hacker - Little Rock, AR Friends of Pontoon Park Friends of Bigelow Park Friends of Delaware Park Greene County Wildlife Club Rick Woolridge, President Paragould Little River Bottoms Chapter, Arkansas Wildlife Federation Vickers Fuqua, President Mike Young, Secretary & Treasurer Mt. Magazine Ranger District University of the Ozarks - Clarksville Jamie L. Hedges, Director of Outdoor & Evironmental Experiences

White River Conservancy Gayne Preller Schmidt, Augusta

Yell County Wildlife Federation James Manatt, President – Dardanelle Yell County Youth Conservation Club Randy Cole, Dardanelle, AR Arkansas Wildlife Federation Staff Executive Director - Ethan Nahté Editor in Chief - Wayne Shewmake Contributing Writers – Wayne Shewmake, Gordon Bagby, Dr. Robert Morgan, Johnny, Sain, Jr., Ethan Nahté, Al Wolff, AGFC, Ellie Mae, Georgia Ross, Melissa Rogalla, Waymon Cox, Daniel Greenfield, David Long, Randy Zellers, Mel. White Contributing Photographers – Dr. Robert Morgan, Mike Wintroath, Ethan Nahté, Wayne Shewmake, Bob Shewmake, Kitty Sanders, Cara Lank Arkansas Wildlife Federation Address: P.O. Box 56380 Little Rock, Arkansas 72215 Office: 501-888-4770 // Cell: 501414-2845

Arkansas Out-of-Doors • September/October 2013 - 23

Finding Balance

by Ethan Nahté Two huge environmental battles continue currently within Arkansas: The Exxon Mobil Pegasus oil spill in Mayflower, near Lake Conway, and the C&H Hog Farm near the Buffalo National River. The initial news is nothing new and updates happen on such a frequent basis that reiterating the status reports would be futile. Yet there is something to be said from going to meetings and events, hearing people talk, and watching, listening or reading the news.

In regards to the oil spill, Exxon did purchase a couple of the properties which did not sell then quickly tore the properties down.

Not much more proof needed that the spill has decreased the value of the residencies.

Now that some of the environmental reports have come out and environmental scientists, even some from neighboring states claim that the results are far from final or even accurate, what has happened to the value of the environment? Not just the monetary value of the air, soil, water, and wildlife, but the wellbeing of the ecology. Multi-ton residue from the BP oil spill three years ago is still showing up in the Gulf Coast. Although the spill in Mayflower was nowhere near that large, thankfully, how long will Arkansas still be dredging up results? Or worse yet, results coming to the surface without dredging?

In addition, the recent government shutdown also put a kink in the process for court orders and proceedings. Not that Exxon has a history of ever doing what they say they are going to do in a situation such as a spill in a timely manner, but it would be nice if they weren’t given extra time-off due to our country’s inability to operate.

In the Buffalo River crisis, the state legislature’s Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) joint subcommittee approved Governor Mike Beebe’s request for $340,510 to implement pollution testing and monitoring at the C&H Hog Farm in Mt. Judea. Some people were outraged that the testing wasn’t done prior to the approval of the permit, and rightfully so. Others were outraged that the testing is now being done and costing Arkansans money.

This seems similar to people at the meetings in Jasper this past May which were held, once again, after the fact that the permit had already been approved. Some people were concerned for the environment and

the health of not only the Buffalo National River (BNR), but of the tributaries and the effect it would have on drinking water for humans and wildlife; while, on the other hand, there were people seemingly more concerned about how the effects would possibly contaminate their well water or the amount of water being used by the hog farm, which may house up to 6,500 hogs at any given time, would affect the availability of water during times of drought.

Even most of the opponents of the farm aren’t necessarily against the farmers and their trying to make a living. It’s the poor choice of location coupled with the inane choice of approving the permit that has everyone riled. But there seems to be two different frames of mind opposing the farm versus the proponents for the farm. There are the conservationists that want to protect our natural resources and not pollute the water, surrounding land, and so forth, trying to maintain a healthy environment all the way around. Then there are those who are more concerned about the costs of testing or the costs to have new pipes and equipment put in place.

Granted, money doesn’t grow on trees and the potential expense to those people that live in the area who may have to have

their wells shut off and water piped in is a very real reason to be upset. By the same token, it seems that if someone, whether they live in that part of the state or not, is more concerned about costs than the possibility of disease, run-off waste, not to mention the potential loss of not only a national treasure but the first national river in the United States, then maybe that just goes to show why the world has problems.

It seems not enough people care about the environment unless something is literally happening in their very back yard. Some people in another part of Arkansas or even a neighboring state may not care much about what’s happening in the counties that the BNR flows through, but those people need to remember that certain elements roll downhill, meaning that whatever enters the water up there is going to eventually make its way into tributaries and other rivers south. I’ve been to enough meetings to see that despite all of today’s technology, there isn’t a water treatment plant in the world that can sift and filter out all of the bad stuff, be it pharmaceuticals, disease or manure.

The first quarterly report of the testing program is set to be submitted to ADEQ in January of 2014. To best keep up with the BNR

check out http://buffaloriveralliance.org/ One never knows when a natural or a man-made disaster will impact one’s life in a personal manner. I’m willing to be there were certain people who never really gave any thought to the BP oil spill. Sure, they knew about it, but that was an event that happened hundreds of miles from them and the only thing that concerned those that may have thought that way was that it would cause the price of gas to go up. If anyone in the Mayflower area didn’t have a care about the effect that the BP oil spill may have had on the environment, not to mention the livelihoods of the fishermen and others in the coastal community, I bet they think differently now. And I am willing to bet that not a single Mayflower resident ever thought something like that could happen to them way up in central Arkansas.

The world, overall, needs to change its way of thinking. Saving and protecting our resources should come before making money. That isn’t to say everyone jump on the wagon and become extremists. Business still has to happen, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be done in a more intelligent and less greedy manner. Finding and achieving balance is what it’s all about.